Disputes between passengers increase. More and more cases reported by airlines
Two aggressive passengers got a little too angry, so much so as to create panic on the Ryanair flight that left Glasgow Prestwick yesterday at 06:10 and headed to Tenerife and caused the flight to be diverted. Two men began arguing and punching each other involving other passengers, in front of terrified families and children. In the fight, one of the two was injured in the nose with a violent nosebleed that covered his face and smeared nearby seats and lockers over the heads of passengers. The commander of the plane, following the emergency protocol, had to divert the flight to the nearest airport, in Madrid. On the instructions of the passengers and flight attendants, the police arrested two people, acquiring the video shot by some passengers. The flight then left for Malaga airport, reaching its destination an hour late.
The flight company subsequently issued the following statement: "We will not tolerate any unruly or disruptive behavior at any time and the safety and comfort of our customers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority." Episodes of this kind are not new to the news due to turbulent passengers who behave in a deplorable and aggressive way once on the plane, highlights Giovanni D'Agata, president of the "Rights Desk", something that cannot and must not be tolerated . In 2017 alone, flight attendants denounced 8731 disputes on board the airplanes, born for the most disparate reasons but for which the International Air Transport Association (IATA) asked to raise the attention threshold also because, as explained by the Director of External Affairs Tim Colehan in Geneva, not all companies are associated with IATA, suggesting that the number of disputes is much higher.
The main problem is represented by drunk passengers but also by the limited space on board the aircraft which leads to an increase in tensions between people, as well as non-compliance with the minimum safety rules. Air carriers accuse the free sale of alcohol at the airport as the root cause of this since many passengers show up on board already drunk, thus increasing the risk that from a slight hint of tension a fight will break out, also costly for the companies because pilots are required to return the aircraft to the ground.
Emergency landings that have their own cost as they lead to delays with respect to the scheduled times, causing requests for refunds from the people on board. Travel companions and families traveling for work or a well-deserved vacation should not be subjected to this behavior. It is time for further actions in support of the crew to be taken to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions to ensure that customers can fly in a safe and trouble-free environment. Now, however, the person responsible will have to pay 25 thousand euros to repay the damage to the airline.